Method and device for distributing gases or vapors



y 1935' D. B. WILLIAMS 2,008,235

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR VAPORS Filed July '29, 1932 ATTORNEY Patented July is, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIETHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR VAPORS Application July 29, 1932, Serial No. 625,799

10 Claims.

The invention relates to the distribution or dispersion of gases or vapors, particularly those of a noisome or irritating nature. My invention includes methods and devices forefiecting the distribution of such gases or vapors, all as more specifically hereinafter described.

Various substances which are capable of producing gases or, vapors have. been proposed for use in offense and defense or protection, The substances commonly used are generally either of the group of lacrimatory or sternutatory (tearor sneeze-inducing) substances, and lacrimatory substances are usually employed.

These materials are ordinarily known as tear gases, and used in the formof tear gas bombs or grenades. The chief use of tear gases is in police work, and to a lesser extent in the safeguarding of business establishments and private dwellings.

A'satisfactory tear gas should possess certain properties; for example, it should be eflicient as a lacrimator or irritant; easily handled, transported, and used; dependable in function; and substantially free from permanent toxic effects; and it should present no great hazard of fire or explosion. ,The device in which the tear gas or gas producing substance is used is of importance although its nature is, usually controlled by the substance used therein. The device or bomb should be simply constructed, certain to operate, easily transported, handled and thrown orprojected, and incapable of reuse (for example, thrown back at the original user before taking eifect).

. Prior to this invention no device or substance was known which possessed the foregoing qualities to a substantial degree. The principal object of my invention is to provide a novel, safe, and efl'lcient method for distributing irritating gases, and to provide novel combinations of materials to beemployed in the new method. Another object is to provide an economical, simple, efilcient, and dependable device for effecting the distribution of irritating gases, fumes, vapors, or 45 similar fluids. The above and other objects will be apparent from the following description together with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of an improved device embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a section through containers suitable for confining the active ingredients to ,be used in the device.

Referring to the drawing, the device may comprise two frangible containers Ill and II which 5 are preferably made of glass and hemispherical in form as shown in Fig. 2. The containers I0 and I I are adapted to have fluid substances confined therein by sealing them, as shown at I2, or by threaded screw caps or any suitable closure means. The frangible containers I0 and Il may 5 be retained within a casing I3 formed of sheet metal or any convenient material. The casing I3 preferably is spherical inform and somewhat larger than the spherical form obtained by placing together the containers I9 and II. The cas- 10 ing I3 may be conveniently made in two hemispherical portions which are secured together in the final assembly by welding them as shown at I4, or by providing the halves with screw threads, by soldered or crimped joints, or in any other 15 manner., Apertures I5 are provided at intervals in the casing I3 to permit gases, fumes, or vapors to escape therefrom, and inwardly projecting portions I6 are also provided at intervals upon the interior of the casing I3. The projec- 2o tions I6 are adapted to hold the containers I9 and I I in position in the-assembled device and to assist in fracturing the containers Ill and when the'casing I3 is subjected to impact. The projections I6 may be formed by deforming por- 25 tions of the casing I 3 or they may be separate metallic portions secured to the interior of the casing I3, or formed in any other suitable manner.

The substances to be contained in the con- 30 tainers II] and II may be the same in each container or different substances. In a preferred embodiment of my invention, crotonaldehyde is used as a lacrimator and is placed in one of the containers while a material, such as a tetrahalide of the elements of group 4 of the periodic table, preferably silicon tetrachloride or titanium tetrachloride, which is capable of spontaneously producing a visible fume or smoke when released into the atmosphere, is placed in the other container. The fume or smoke producing agent used is selected from those materials which are substantially non-reactive with crotonaldehyde.

C'rotonaldehyde is normally a liquid which, though boiling at 104 C., has exceptional surface wetting tendencies so that it spreads rapidly over; a surface and is readily and spontaneously vaporized. The vapors of crotonaldehyde are colorless and have a powerful irritating odor. It is a strong lacrimator even in minute concentrations,

.and in appreciable quantities is so irritating as to render presence in its vapors unbearable. Exposure'to the vapors of crotonaldehyde is not attended by serious after effects, and its toxicity is muchless than that of the most commonly employed lacrimatory substance now in use. The lower explosive limit of crotonaldehyde vapor in air is 2.21% by volume, and this amount is many times the quantity required to render a given space entirely uninhabitable; hence, the danger of fire or explosion with crotonaldehydeis not material.

In many cases it is advantageous to use a. tear gas which is visible; for example, it is advantageous for the user of the gas to know the course and extent of the distribution of the gas or vapor, and it is a distinct advantage inv police work for dispersing unwanted gatherings to use a visible gas becauseof the psychological effect of visibly apparent fumes or smoke. Therefore, it is gen-- erally preferable to use a fume or smoke producing agent with crotonaldehyde, or the fume or smoke producing agent may be used alone. For example, a distinguishing mark or color may be imparted to the containers to be used in the device to identify the contents as either crotonaldehyde or silicon or titanium tetrachloride. The bomb may be made so that the two portions are separably secured together by a threaded joint or the like, and the bomb may be used with two containers of crotonaldehyde or of the smoke producing agent or with one of each as desired. A convenient means of identification may comprise a dye added to the liquid.

As one illustration of the use of the invention, two fluid ounces each of crotonaldehyde and silicon tetrachloride were simultaneously liberated in a room having a volume of 1200 cubic feet. The temperature of the room was about 25 F. The eflect of the crotonaldehyde was instantaneous and lacrimation was produced in the observers. The course and extent of the distribution of crotonaldehyde was visibly apparent by reason of the white smoke or fume produced by the silicon tetrachloride. All observers not equipped with gas masks were compelled to quit the room within 30 seconds after the crotonaldehyde liquid was liberated. This quantity of crotonaldehyde amounted to 0.112 pounds per 1000 cubicfeet of air in the room.

In another test, crotonaldehyde was atomized with air and forced into the room described above through a keyhole. In this test the amount of crotonaldehyde was exactly one half that used in the first case and the resultswere much the same; the observers were forced to resort to gas masks within 37 seconds after the initial injection of crotonaldehyde. v

. My invention provides a. novel and efllcacious method for distributing a normally invisible irritating gas or vapor in a manner which renders visible the course and extent of its distribution by simultaneously and positively liberating at substantially the same point a spontaneously vaporizable substance capable of producing an irritating gas which is normally invisible and a substance which spontaneously produces a visible fume or smoke. There is thus produced an immediate intimate intermixing of .the irritating suflicient to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and its modifications.

I claim:-- 1. Method for distributing a normally invisible irritating gas in a manner which renders visible the course and extent of the distribution of said gas which comprises simultaneously and positively liberating crotonaldehyde at substantially the same point with a tetrahalide of an element of group 4 of the periodic table which is capable of spontaneously producing a visible fume or smoke and which is substantially nonreactive with crotonaldehyde, so that there is produced an immediate intimate intermixing of the vaporized crotonaldehyde and the visible fume or smoke at the point of liberation.

2; Method for distributing anormally invisible irritating gas in a manner which renders visible the course and extent of the distribution of said gas which comprises simultaneously and positively liberating from separate containers and at substantially the same point, crotonaldehyde with a substance selected from the group consisting of silicon tetrachloride and titanium tetrachloride, so that there is produced an immediate intimate intermixing of the invisible crotonaldehyde vapor ble irritating gas in a manner which renders visible the course and extent of the distribution of said gas which comprises simultaneously and positively liberating crotonaldehyde with titanium tetrachloride from. separate containers and at substantially the same point, so that there is produced an immediate intimate intermixing of the invisible crotonaldehyde vapor and the visible ti- :anium tetrachloride vapor at the point of libera- 5. Device for distributing gases, fumes and smoke, which comprises frangible containers con-' fining spontaneously vaporizablesubstances which are capable of producing the fluids to be distributed, a casing surrounding said frangible containers, said casing being provided with apertures for the passage of said fluids therethrough, and being provided with inwardly projecting portions in contact with said frangible containers adapted tohold said containers in position and to assist in fracturing said containers when said casing is subjected to impact.

6. Device for distributing gases, fumes and smoke, which comprises two frangible containers confining spontaneously vaporizable substances which are capable of producing the fluids to be distributed, a metallic casing surrounding said frangible containers, said casing being provided with apertures for the passage of said fluids therethrough, and being provided with inwardly projecting portions in contact with said frangible containersadapte'd to hold said containers in position and to assist in fracturing said containers when said casing is subjected to impact.

7. Device for distributing gases, fumes and smoke, which comprises two hemispherical frangible containers confining spontaneously vaporizable substances which are capable of producing the fluids to be distributed. a metallic cas- "for the passage of said fluids therethrough, and

being provided with integral inwardly projecting portions in contact with said frangible containers adapted to hold said containers in position and to assist in fracturing said containers when said casing is subjected to impact.

8. .A device for distributing an irritating gas simultaneously with a visible fume or smoke, which comprises frangible containers separately confining an irritating gas producing agent and a fume or smoke producing agent, a casing surrounding said frangible containers, said casing being provided with apertures for the passage of gases or vapors therethrough, and being provided with inwardly projecting portions in con-v tact with said frangible containers adapted to hold said containers in position and to assist in fracturing said containers when said casing is subjected to impact.

9. A device for distributing an irritating gas simultaneously with a visible fume or smoke, which comprises two hemispherical frangible containers separately confining an irritating gas &

producing agent and a fume or smoke producing agent, a metallic casing spherical in form surrounding said frangible containers, said casing being provided with apertures for the passage of gases or vapors therethrough, and being provided with inwardly projecting portions in contact with said frangible containers adapted to hold said containers in position and to assist in fracturing said containers when said casing is subjected to impact.

10. A device for distributing an irritating gas simultaneously with a visible fume or smoke, which comprises two hemispherical frangible containers separately confining an irritating gas producng agent and a fume or smoke producing agent, a. metallic casing spherical in form comprising two portions secured together surrounding said frangible containers, said casing being provided with apertures for the passage of. gases or vapors therethrough, and being provided with integral inwardly projecting portions in contact with said frangible containers adapted to hold said containers in position and to assist in fracturing said containers when said casing is subjected to impact.

DUNCAN B. WILLIAMS. 

